Strip-roll tensioning means



Feb. 10, 1931. T. R. GAUTIER STRIP ROLL TENSIONING MEANS Original FiledMarch 3. 1928 YIIIl/I/IIII/I/I/ Revorlillaaider byfl .Z Y W m law,

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED star NT OFFICE TREVOR R. GAUTIER, OFNASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO NASHUA GUMMED & COATED PAPER COMPANY,OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS STRIP-ROLLTENSIONING MEANS 1929. Serial My present invention relates to packagesealing, labelling and the like, and more particularly, aims to provideimproved means for supporting and tensioning a strip or tape supply inroll form. This application is a ficient of the feeding and moisteningmeans of said copending application shown in vertical longitudinalsection to illustrate one manner of use of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through said means of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.

While my invention is adapted for use with strip or tape rolls which areto be drawn up in any manner, either manually or me- 5 chanically, andit may be employed in connection with any suitable mechanism for thatpurpose, I have herein illustrated it in connection with a strip servingmachine having a power-operated manually controllable feed,

".1 as in said copending application. This machine preferably includes aplatform or base 1 upon which the mechanism as a whole is mounted. Atthe delivery end of the machine is a tape moistening device including areservoir 5 from which projects an inverted brush moistener 6.

The strip or tape supply in roll form is adapted to be supported at anysuitable point for delivery, being at the rear of the machine asillustrated, that is, at the end opposite the moistening and deliveryend. For this pur pose there is provided an upright bracket 8 which ispreferably secured to the base 1, or it may be positioned independentlythereof. This bracket carries a laterally projecting stud 9 forsupporting rotatably the roll of gummed paper or other tape or stripmaterial T to be dispensed. Preferably, and as shown, the tape is rolledwith its gummed surface inside, and the roll is so positioned Dividedand. this application filed May 14, No. 363,083.

upon the stud that the tape is run off from the top of the roll, withthe gummed side down, for moistening engagement with the upwardlyextending brush moistener, and my invention has a special cooperationwith tape so rolled and positioned. The stud 9 is located at a properheight freely to support a tape roll of the largest diameter which itmay be desired to use.

The tape T coming from the roll passes beneath a guide roll 16 andacross a platform or feed floor 3, being fed forwardly by and betweenupper and lower feed wheels or rolls 42 and 25 respectively, thenceunder a guide member 18 and between and past tape severing meansincluding a fixed blade 19 and a movable blade 52, whence it isdelivered across and in moistening relation with the moistener 6. Thelower feed roll 25 is driven in any suitable manner, and the feedingoperation may be controlled by means of the lever 44: of the controlhead 35, as more fully shown and described in said copendingapplication.

In accordance with my invention, novel and improved means is providedfor retaining the tape roll in the described feeding po sition and atthe same time controlling the tension upon the tape in such manner as toprevent over-running of the latter with resultant undue slack, as wellas to avoid backlash and possible retraction of the leading end 'of thetape from proper engagement with the feeding means.

For this purpose I have shown a device herein comprised in a singleelement including a weighted member 10 having its under surface properlyconcaved as indicated at 10, to conform generally to the periphery ofthe tape roll upon which it rests. To this weight is secured integrallyor otherwise a depending arm or fork 11 provided with a vertical slot 12of such length or open at its bottom to permit this fork to be engagedover the stud 9, and also adapting the weighted member for propercooperation with the tape rolls of different diameters, as well asenabling it to follow down on the roll as the latter decreases in sizeduring use.

At the opposite side of the weight 10 there projects laterally a plateor extension 13 having a series of parallel slots or openings 14selectively engageable with the upper portion or finger 15 of thebracket 8. In accordance with one construction, andas illustrated, theplate 13 and the depending fork 11 may be formed as a single strip bentsubstantially at right angles and having, the weight 10 attached in theangle so formed. The fork 11 acts to retain the tape roll upon the stud,while by reason of the plurality of openings 1 the device as a whole isadapted for use with tape rolls of different widths.-

The concaved under surface of the weighted portion of the device alfordsa retarding action or frictional brake upon the outer and ungummedsurface of the tape thus avoiding objectionable scraping or cracking ofthe gummcd surface such as might result from the direct engagement of africtional tensioning device therewith. t will be noted that with a taperoll of relatively large diameter, or with any roll before it has'beensubstantially reduced by draft of tape from it, the tensioning deviceengages a consider able surface length of the tape, and consequently thebraking or tensioning effect is correspondingly great, as is desirablein such case. lVith small rolls, or inany case as the roll decreases indiameter in use, a proportionately less surface length is engaged, witha consequent proportionate reduction in the tensioning or brakingeffect. Thus with smaller rolls, for which less braking or tensioningforce is desired, the latter is proportionately and automaticallyreduced.

It will further be noted that in accordance with my invention thetension control of the tape or strip is wholly automatic and alsopositive. IIeretofore so far as I am aware any strip tensioning devicefor'strip serving machines for package sealing, labeling and the likehave either been of the spring variety or so arranged that some settingor adjustment was required, as by thumb screws or the like. Such settingwas left to the discretion ,of the operator who frequently made theadjustment too loose or too tight. Following; my invention the properweight for the tensioner is predetermined for any given machine orcircumstances and the proper tension upon the feeding or drawn out stripis accordingly predetermined, with nothing left to the judgment of theoperator. A better feeding and moistening action is thus assured withresultant improved operation of the machine as a whole.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof hereinshown and de scribed, its scope being pointed out in the fcllowingclaims 1. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with anupright having a laterally projecting stud for the reception of rolls ofstrip material, a combined roll-retaining of strip material, a: combinedrollrretaining and striptension-regulating element, including a weightedmember adapted to seat upon the roll, a member depending therefronr andhaving a formation for engagement with said stud, and a lateralextension at the side of said weighted member opposite said depend ingmember, said extension having a plurality of like formations selectivelyengageable with said upright to position said element for cooperationwith rolls of various widths.

3. In mechanism of the-class described, in combination with an uprighthaving a laterally projecting stud for rotatably supporting rolls ofstrip material, a combined roll-retaining and strip-tension-regulatingelement, including a weighted member havin concave undersurface adaptingit to seat upon the roll and to engage a substantial portion of theperiphery thereof, means at one side of said member engageable with theoutrr side of the roll to retain it upon the stud, and means at theother side of said member for retaining engagement with said upright.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to-this specification.

TREVOR R. GAUTIEB.

